Ibrahima Konate reveals why he is frustrated to play WITH Liverpool team-mate Virgil van Dijk, as defender aims cheeky dig at his captain

Not galore centre-backs who played alongside Virgil van Dijk person recovered a downside, but Ibrahima Konate has pinpointed one. 

The Frenchman, with lingua placed firmly successful cheek, said his spouse astatine the backmost is truthful bully that helium takes attraction distant from his ain apical performances. 

Konate has been enjoying an outstanding play for the Reds and helped the league leaders to different cleanable expanse successful the 1-0 triumph implicit Everton connected Wednesday. 

But helium joked that radical hide he's adjacent playing, specified is the acclaim fixed to the captain. 

'It’s brainsick however galore Man of the Match [awards] I could get this season,' helium quipped connected Sky Sports.

'It’s precise bully to play with Virgil due to the fact that helium is simply a precise bully player, but sometimes radical who ticker the crippled they deliberation it’s lone Virgil who plays. No, I americium playing arsenic well! 

'I've had a large crippled arsenic well, but no, but due to the fact that it's Virgil... I’m not jealous, but ticker the game, and it volition archer you the truth!'

Konate is unafraid of stating his ambition to adjacent amended Van Dijk 1 day. 

He went on: 'With Virgil, we cognize however bully helium is, however peculiar helium is, and what he’s been doing for years. He’s truthful good. I instrumentality a fewer things from him. 

'He gave maine a batch of proposal erstwhile I came to the club. Like I’ve said previously, I volition beryllium amended than you 1 day, that’s wherefore I enactment precise hard each time to execute this.'

Liverpool's defence has been coagulated this play and Arne Slot's men person a league precocious 13 cleanable sheets successful the Premier League.

Konate and Van Dijk person been the pairing for the bulk of those shut-outs but it remains to beryllium seen however agelong the brace volition support combining. 

Van Dijk is yet to hold a caller deal, with his declaration moving retired successful the summer, though optimism remains that helium volition enactment pen to paper. 

Konate himself has been linked with a determination to PSG and his ain woody expires adjacent year. 

Given the performances of some defenders this term, Liverpool fans volition beryllium hopeless for them to enactment astatine Anfield arsenic agelong arsenic possible.